It ain’t only flowers and fruits
Article Excerpt:
Still life is the study of an inanimate object…takes you right back to 6th grade art class! However, still life images are not restricted to painting and drawing – many of us take still life photos every day without actually realizing that we are taking a “still life”. When you really think about it, you may realize just how many still life’s you’ve taken over the years. In the traditional sense a still life is often thought of as a bowl of fruit, a vase of flowers, or an arrangement of related (or non-related) objects. But ultimately any type of objects that you set up or create as a scene can be a still life; they don’t necessarily need to be flowers or fruit. The key to creating a good still life is thinking about the object in terms of setting the scene.
~Still Life Photography Tips from The Beginners Lens
Creative control in still life
Article Excerpt:
There aren’t many photographic practices that date back further than still life photography. When photography originated, it was necessary for exposures to be quite long, so photographing static objects was the ideal subject matter. However, as the technology developed, the fascination for capturing still life has remained and is still one of the most viable photographic professions today.
At the top end, it is an extremely lucrative business, as magazines, catalogues and websites all require product shots. There are many advantages to working with still life that are often underestimated, so hopefully you’ll be able to see it’s scope for creativity and get started with taking some shots yourself!
Contrary to common perceptions, you don’t need a studio or a fancy location to make a start with still life photography. You can begin by simply using a space at home, such as a table placed by a window, along with a simple backdrop and utilizing a couple of lamps.
It varies greatly to landscape or portrait photography, in which you are provided with the subject matter, for example, a stunning mountain scene or a model, which come with a huge amount of variables, but the creative content is there in front of you. With still life photography, there are far less variables, you, as the photographer have complete control over the situation, including the subject matter, but you need to think extremely creatively in order to capture it in an interesting and engaging way.
~Simon Bray from his article 10 Tips to Get Started with Still Life Photography
Photo Quotes 149
Sometimes a photograph offers the photographer a gift he didn’t expect, a marvelous detail – what the eye longing for meaning sees unconsciously, and includes.~John Rosenthal
Photo Quotes 105
There is little room today for inspiration in most people’s lives. However, if your goal is to create artistic photographs, if your goal is to be an artist, in short if your goal is to create art, you must make room for the muses to visit you, or for when inspiration strikes, whenever that may be.~Alain Briot
The Season has come
Even in nooks and crannies, it is evident the most awaited time of the year has arrived. And it’s never too early to greet every one of you Happy Holidays!
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Approach the subject on tiptoe, even if it is a still life. Let your steps be velvet but your eye keen; a good fisherman does not stir up the water before he starts to fish.~Henri Cartier-Bresson
Still life is “full control” photography
A picture is not a painting, but if I can make it look like one, why not? Still life is one of the earliest photography genres borrowing the style of master painters of the past. Still life photography does not need expensive, elaborate studio set-up. Natural light or a couple of lamps will do, and you can set it up right at home. As such you can have full control over the variables – composition, lighting, exposure, angles – and you can have all day to do your shot. Something which you can’t do with a model (unless you’re the agency) or a mountain (try going to the other side of a mountain to get another angle). The options and possibilities of still life photography will squeeze out your creative juices. British freelance photographer Simon Bray shares some fundamentals in his article 10 tips to Getting Started with Still Life Photography. This photo genre is in demand nowadays and you’ll find these kinds of images in photo stock sites. Designers, advertisers, visual artists and websites have uses for still life imagery. The bottomline? Bray points out the only requirement is a camera, strong backgrounds and good light. I will add a couple of things: follow your photographer’s instinct and turn on that “inner” eye. Happy still life shooting! (Photo location: at a cafe in Roxas City, Capiz province)
Junsjazz Images & Inspiration 